Tension-reel control



S 11, 2, WEEK. J. REMM-EN TENSION REEL CONTROL Filed Oct. 26, 1926 a W H INVENTQR WB'F'NESSES Patented Sept. 2, 1930 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE JURG'EN REMMEN, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED ENGINEER- ING & FOUNDRY UOMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF EENNSYLVANIA TENSION-REEL. CONTROL Application filed October 26, 1926. Seriallto. 144,250.

This invention relates totension reels, more particularly to a tens on reel ,control for cold-rolling metal strips.

in the cold rolling of metal strips it is necessary to provide means for reeling the strip under tension and in .a manner to eliminate kinks and waviness produced in rolling, and furthermore to keep the strip under tension between the rolls and the winding reel to prevent the metal from buckling which may result in distortion or rupture.

it is among the objects of the present invention to rovide a tension reel control which is a apted to automatically receive the metal strip as it passes from the rolls and wind it on the tension reel whereby the possibility of crimping and waving the strip is entirely eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tension reel control which shall tunetion automatically to energize the drive motor otthetension reel or a magnetic clutch it another type of prime mover is employed, when the end of the metal stri engages the clamp of the reel member an to automat ically cut out or deenergize the motor or drive mechanism when the coiling or the metal strip on the reel has been completed.

Still another object of the invention is'to provide a tension reel control which shall function to stop the winding reel in a certain predetermined position which is the position where the clamp member for engaging the stri is in alignment with the path of travel 0? the strip as it passes from the rolls.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of a tension reel control embodying the principles of this invent-ion; and Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the position of the metal strip after its engagement with the clamping means on the reel, and illustrating the closed position of the control circuit which is the position at which the driving mechanism or motor is enerzed. V

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the structure therein illustrated comprises a sheet metal strip 1 passing out of a pair of rolls 2 over an apron 3 and beneath a guard 3 in the direction of a winding reel 4. The reel or drum 4 comprises a plurality of segments. 5 that are collapsible to permit the ready removal of the coiled strip after it is wound onthe reel, the segment-s 5 being ex panded and collapsed by means of the rollers 6 which may be radially disposed in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the former being the collapsed position and the latter being the working position of the segments. Attached to the reel 4 is a pivotally mounted dog or clamp which as shown ip Fig. 1 is in alignment with the metal strip 1 and adapted to engage the latter after it has passed beyond the roller 8 of a contact finger 9 which is formed integrally with contact arm 10 that establishes an electrical contact with the stationary contact 11 of an electrical circuit, for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth.

When the strip 1 passes under the clamp 7 it is engaged thereby as shown in Fig. 3 and caused to wind around the Winding reel 4 when the latter begins to rotate. When the contacts 10 and 11 are engaged an electrical circuit is established between a supply line designated as minus and plus through a magnetic relay 12 which may control either 'a magnetic clutch or a reel motor. A magnetic clutch in this connection is employed to couple the drive shaft of the winding drum to a prime mover, but when an electric motor is coupled directly to the drive shaft of the winding drum the control circuits thereformay be made directly through the relay 12. The drive shaft of the reel 4 is provided with an interrupted slip ring 14 which cooperates with brushes 15 for the purpose of breaking the clutch or motor circuit at a predetermined point, this being the point at which the clamping member 7 of. the reel is'in its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 1, which is the position at which the metal strip 1 makes contact with the reel.

The operation of this device is briefly as follows: When a strip 1 emerges from the mill it will run out on the apron 3 and as it proceeds in the directionof the reel 4 it will contact with the roller 8 and raise the lever 9 causing the contact arm 10 to move into circuit making engagement with the stationary contact member 11 thereby closing the circuit controlling the magnetic relay 12. The closing of the relay 12 in turn starts the reel 4 to rotate. Hence there will be no loss of time and the strip will receive tension from the start of its engagement with the drum. The starting characteristics of the real motor may be such that the strip will have time to pass under the clamp 7 after itleaves the roll 8 before the motor can start the reel to rotate. However, in some systems, to insure that suflicient time will elapse between the closing of the contact member 10 and relay 12 to permit the strip to pass under the clamp 7, the relay may be provided with a dash 13 which will delay its action. The lever 9 will remain in the raised position as long as the strip is contacting with the roller 8, and when the end of the strip has passed the roller the latter will drop by means of the pull on the tension spring thereby opening the main control circuit. The opening of the main circuit does not alone stop the reel or drum as the circuit for the relay 12 is maintained closed until the interrupted slip ring 1 1 in the auxiliary circuit shunting the contact members 10 and 11 assumes the position shown whereby one of the brushes is between the adjacent ends of the slip ring. In this position the relay 12 is deenergized causing the reel 4 to come to rest with the clamp or dog 7 in alignment with the strip 1 as shown in Fig. 1. When the reel stops it is collapsed, the coiled strip removed and the winding device made ready for a repetition 6f the cycle of operation.

One of the principal features of the tension reel control is the elimination of workmen which are commonly employed to guide the strip into the clamping slot and start the tension reel as the metal passed from the rolls, and by.eliminating these operators considerable less space is required for the tension reeling device and the latter may be placed much nearer the rolls of the mill.

It is further evident that the use of a reel control for automatically starting the reeling operation assures a uniform tension being applied to the strip from the very beginning and eliminates the possibility of buckling the material which results in breakage due to the enormous strains to which the strip is subjected when the reeling motor functions to reel the excess or accumulated metal at a greater speed than its speed of travel from the mill rolls.

Although one of the embodiments of the invention has been herein illustrated and described it will be obvious that various modifications may be made in the details of construction and in the arrangement of the several cooperating parts without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. The combination with a winding reel of electrical means forv startin and stopping said reel, a main and auxiliary circuit for controlling the operation of said starting and stopping means, means automatically actuated by a strip being wound on the reel for opening and closing said main control circuit, and means responsive to the movement of the reel for automatically opening and closing said auxiliary circuit.

2. The combination with a winding reel for a strip mill of a clamp member carried by said reel and adapted to automatically engage ,the strip, )means for starting and stopping said reel, a main control circuit for controlling the operation of said starting and stopping means, means for opening and closing said circuit comprising a movable contactor actuated by the strip being wound on the reel, an auxiliary circuit connected in shunt circuit relation with said movable contactor, and means for opening and closing said auxiliary circuit comprising an interrupted sli ring adapted to open the circuit and stop t 1e reel when the clamping member on the reel is in alignment with the path of travel of the strip being wound on the reel.

3. In a device to wind a strip fed from a strip mill, the combination of a collapsible reel having an eccentric clamp pivotally mounted thereon for engaging the strip, a relay for controlling the operation of said reel, a main control circuit for said relay,

means actuated by the strip being wound on the reel for closing and interrupting said circuit, an auxiliary circuit shunting said means forqclosing and interrupting said main circuit, and means for closing and interrupting said auxiliary circuit when the clamp in the winding reel is in a predetermined position. In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

J ORGEN REMMEN. 

